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en-usEngadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronicsCopyright 2018 AOL Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/diablo-iii-to-begin-technical-testing-in-china-shortly/https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/diablo-iii-to-begin-technical-testing-in-china-shortly/https://massively.joystiq.com/2015/02/02/diablo-iii-to-begin-technical-testing-in-china-shortly/#comments

If you're a gamer in China waiting for Diablo III, you have undoubtedly been waiting for a very long time. Given the game's subject matter and the strict censorship policies of the government, it's not a surprise that it's taken a while to get moving. At long last there is a light at the end of the tunnel, however, as distributor Netease has announced that the censorship issues are finally resolved and the game is free to begin technical testing.

The testing phase will begin after the lunar new year is celebrated later this month. While the exact nature of graphical changes has not been disclosed, Netease stresses that the game will still be cool to look at, which could mean... almost anything, really. Still, at this point most of the players who have long waited for the game will just be happy to see it finally available within China.

So, ready to jump on the rumor mill? Because it's churning out big stuff about Blizzard today. An anonymous source from inside the company has apparently claimed that World of Warcraft's next expansion has quadrupled its art outsourcing and is nearly feature-complete. The source also claimed that Hearthstone is doing banner business, with its next expansion set to release in April with a heavier PvE focus.

Darker news was revealed for the other franchises under the company's banner. The next part of StarCraft II is done but with no release date. Overwatch is in the midst of debates over business model and payment plans, with the studio pushing for a 2015 release but most likely going for 2016. Meanwhile, Heroes of the Storm has low expectations among the upper management and the Diablo III team has been "completely gutted." It's up to you you believe the rumors, of course, although come April, they might look rather plausible.

Remember Me and Life is Strange developer Dontnod is working on Vampyr, an action-RPG set just after World War I and starring a doctor who's also a vampire, The Sixth Axis reports. As the doctor, players must grapple with moral quandaries – to heal or to feed on your patients? – and the game's tagline is "Take blood. Save a life," the site reports. Focus Home Interactive is publishing. Dontnod announced the game during a Focus Home event today.

There's no release date or confirmed platforms for Vampyr just yet. Dontnod is also working on the episodic, time-bending, emotional journey of Life is Strange, due to debut on January 30 for Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 and PC. We have a preview of that one here.

There's a lot happening around the rainbow-and-glitter landscapes of Diablo III, although perhaps the biggest is the implementation of Patch 2.1.2 to the game. This patch adds in powerful ancient items, increases the drop rate for legendary items, and gives players more survivability with additional life and higher life-on-hit percentages.

As Diablo III ushers in the patch, so it too prepares to say goodbye to the first season. The game is preparing to end season one and has posted a guide to aid players as they make the transition to the limbo that exists before season two. Season one is expected to end some time in early February, possibly February 3rd.

Players on both the PC and consoles soon will enjoy an event full of boosts, including additional treasure goblins and higher drop rates. These boosts will begin tomorrow and continue through Friday, January 23rd.

A few weeks ago, Blizzard content designer Kevin Martens admitted that the studio once considered turning the Diablo IP loose on an MMORPG. It's off the table now, but it still got me wistful. I've been strangely attached to the Diablo franchise and its clones for a very long time. Seriously, it's not even possible to pry the Torchlight series or Titan Quest off my harddrive. But Diablo itself just has a compelling, gritty gloom to the world that would make an MMO version a welcome in a genre that's obsessed with bright and happy fantasy worlds.

In many ways Diablo III seemed like the sort of game that would lead naturally into an MMO for the franchise. The online functionality is there, the options are there, and it's not as if Blizzard's big MMO didn't derive quite a bit from the framework of Diablo II, after all. But according to content designer Kevin Martens, there are no current plans to take the franchise into an MMO space, even though there were plans to do exactly that not too long ago.

The original thinking was that Diablo III would be the sort of game that could evolve its setting to a point where an MMO felt organic, natural, and appropriate. However, a shift in corporate culture and overall development focus cut those plans short before they went much further than discussion. Seeing how players enjoy Diablo III and what they like about the game has resulted in a shift in focus with more future content for the game... but no MMO exploration.

The second season, which starts public realm testing "soon," will add new and beefed-up legendary items, a trio of new conquests, and boots and pants for the level 70 Conqueror's transmorgrification set for those willing to reroll a character. Blizzard also announced a new batch of earnable rewards: "Players who participate in the season will also receive an exclusive full banner set, including shape, pattern, sigil, and accent. Each piece of this set is unlocked by acquiring seasonal achievement points."

Like Season 1, Season 2 will not be coming to consoles due to their occasionally offline nature.

If you've been waiting patiently for the next big convention focused entirely around Blizzard's game catalogue, your wait is almost over. BlizzCon 2014 kicks off on Friday, November 7th, with the opening ceremonies starting at 2:00 p.m. EST. There's no chance of attending in person if you don't already have a ticket, but you can still pick up a virtual ticket, and DirecTV customers can also grab a pay-per-view stream that includes a virtual ticket and the associated benefits.

The convention will host a variety of tournaments, including the Hearthstone championships, the StarCraft II championships, and the World of Warcraft Arena championship. There will also be the usual assortment of lore panels, development previews, and reveals for the various games under the Blizzard banner, included the much-anticipated Warlords of Draenor expansion. If you've been on the fence about getting a stream, take a look at the list of festivities and get ready to see what's coming from the studio this weekend.

Marvel Heroes has a new superpowered crimefighter in its lineup. Nova is the latest addition to Gazillion's free-to-play online action RPG, and players can choose to play him in his Richard Rider/Nova Prime costume or in his new Nova/Sam Alexander duds.

Mechanically, Nova is something of a hybrid who is able to use both ranged and melee powers to "defeat enemies quickly." You can see him in action via the trailer just past the break.

I'm going to borrow a bit from Massively's Choose My Adventure series in today's Leaderboard. My Marvel Heroes dabbling continues, but I'm having some decisional paralysis regarding my next hero. That's where you -- and today's poll -- come in.

I'm going to restrict the choices to X-men (excepting Storm and Nightcrawler) because, well, I like X-men and it also keeps the poll manageable. Help me out after the cut, please and thank you in advance!

Ever wish that you could put to rest a long-standing MMO debate once and for all? Then welcome to the battle royal of Massively's Leaderboard, where two sides enter the pit o' judgment -- and only one leaves. Vote to make your opinion known, and see whether your choice tops the Leaderboard!
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action-rpgarpgclassesgazillionleaderboardmarvel heroesmarvel-heroesmmo industrymmo-industrypollreader-pollsuper-herox-menWed, 15 Oct 2014 16:00:00 -0400319|20977364https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/09/blizzard-posts-official-blizzcon-schedule/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/09/blizzard-posts-official-blizzcon-schedule/https://massively.joystiq.com/2014/10/09/blizzard-posts-official-blizzcon-schedule/#comments

You've got your tickets purchased, your hotel arrangements squared away, your bags all packed. You're ready for BlizzCon this year! But leaving aside the fact that you can probably unpack your bags now as you've still got a month to go, what are you actually going to be doing at BlizzCon? That's what you can find out by taking a gander at the official schedule, which tracks the events of the day on both Friday and Saturday for World of Warcraft, StarCraft 2, Hearthstone, and Diablo III.

A floor map is also available so that congoers can get a feel for the layout before arrival, although that's of less interest to fans planning on taking advantage of the streaming options available for the convention. If you're thinking of buying a virtual ticket for the high-quality streams, take a look at the schedule and see if it's stuff you want to watch streaming live. Unless, as we said, you've already got your bags packed to go in person.

If you're one of the few holdouts on this here planet Earth who hasn't picked up a copy of Diablo III or its expansion, Blizzard is prepared to make you one tempting offer. From now through Monday, October 6th, Diablo III and the Reaper of Souls expansion is 50% off through the Blizzard store. This puts the core game and the basic expansion at $20 apiece, with the digital deluxe edition of Reaper of Souls marked down to $40.

The latest patch for Diablo III is out now for players in North America, and it's a big one for pets. Area damage now hits pets for less damage than before, some pets have had their health increased, and in general there's a play philosophy focus that pets should be roughly as durable as the class that summoned them in the first place. It's good news if you tend to take part in the game with a companion creature or two.

The update also makes a variety of adjustments to Greater Rifts, altering the behavior of enemies found within the rifts and removing certain maps form the rotation. Witch Doctors have also received a variety of buffs, with several fetishes getting substantially more life and improved functionality. Take a gander at the full patch notes to see how much has changed.

Rex Rocket developer Castle Pixel recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for Blossom Tales, the studio's Zelda-like adventure game. The action-RPG is also on Steam Greenlight seeking community approval for distribution on the PC platform. Castle Pixel is seeking $45,000 by October 17 to fund the rest of the game's development. Blossom Tales has players exploring dungeons that "combine pre-designed layouts and randomized areas," completing quests as the young warrior Lily.

While Castle Pixel did not list any other guaranteed platforms for the game on its Kickstarter page. Rather, additional destinations for Blossom Tales will be unlocked should the project achieve its numerous stretch goals; it will head to Mac and Linux at the $60,000 mark and Wii U at $250,000. The Pittsburgh-based developer announced its Wii U and 3DS ambitions for the game back in May 2013.

If you really want to check out BlizzCon but can't quite manage a flight out to California, a solution is available. Virtual tickets are now available from Blizzard for $39.99, allowing you to watch the panels, the competitions, and the events live from the comfort of your own home. Sure, you won't get to actually be packed in the convention hall, but this way no one cares whether you're wearing pants or not, so you even come out ahead.

Purchasing a virtual ticket will give you access to bonus in-game goods for World of Warcraft, Diablo III, StarCraft II, Heroes of the Storm, and Hearthstone, although the details are not yet available. All of the streams are also available in high definition and can be re-watched, so you needn't worry about missing something. If you've already purchased a physical ticket, you still have access to a virtual ticket as well, so you can still take advantage of the streaming. Everyone who wants to attend can at least get something like that experience.

As I mentioned in this space last week, I've been suffering a bit of MMO burnout. I've still been gaming, though, mostly via single-player stuff but also a smidge of Marvel Heroes. I was never much for Diablo, which is why my ongoing MH fixation is somewhat surprising. Maybe I'm just an action RPG late-bloomer, and I'm curious to see if I might enjoy something like Path of Exile now, too.

What about you, Massively readers? Have you branched out beyond traditional MMOs recently? How so?

It's time for new challenges in Diablo III, as Patch 2.10 crash-landed today to the delights of players and the screams of frustrated hellbeasts. Why won't you stop slaughtering them already?

The big four features that arrive with 2.10 are seasons, greater rifts, leaderboards, and cesspools. Starting today, players can roll up a fresh character for a new season to earn special rewards without assistance from the player's other assets. To celebrate the patch, Diablo III has triggered a week of double gold find and double treasure goblin appearances.

The patch notes are so long that, well, they descend into the deep blackness of the website. If you'd rather not go blind reading all of that, you can check out the patch overview video after the jump. Happy gaming!

There's nothing worse in Diablo III than seeing a treasure goblin waltz up and snatch a valuable item away from you whilst you're dealing with a pack of monsters. It's endlessly satisfying to catch the little monster and take it down. But what if you could head back to the goblins' base and start taking stuff from them for a change? That's the idea behind the Vault, a new area being added to Diablo III with patch 2.1.

Whenever you take down a treasure goblin in 2.1, there's a chance that a portal to the Vault will spawn. Inside the Vault there's a ton of items pilfered by the treasure goblins, as you'd expect. There's also the Baroness Greed, who doesn't take kindly to having her space invaded and her pilfered goods re-pilfered by someone else. Still, it turns the game on its head; instead of being annoyed when a treasure goblin pinches your loot, now you'll have a chance to get something even better.

BioWare Austin shared a tease of Shadow Realms, its new IP at EA's Gamescom 2014 presentation. It's a 4 vs. 1 online action RPG arriving on PC next year. Players can manipulate the environment as the above shadow lord, or align with friends against it. Group General Manager Matthew Bromberg explained that Shadow Realms' overarching story will develop "like a great TV series," with each episode being "experienced together, by the community, as it's released."

Bromberg says that Shadow Realms began as a "quest to recapture the feeling" of a D&D table adventure, with parties facing a foe capable of guiding the challenges they're faced with. Those interested in an early, alpha-flavored taste can head to official site to sign up, as the first round of closed testing will happen next month.
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4-v-1action-rpgbiowarebioware-austingamescom-2014gamescom-2014-eapcshadow-realmsWed, 13 Aug 2014 04:57:00 -040011|20946184https://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/06/uncover-castle-in-the-darkness-secrets-soon-on-steam/https://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/06/uncover-castle-in-the-darkness-secrets-soon-on-steam/https://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/06/uncover-castle-in-the-darkness-secrets-soon-on-steam/#comments

1001 Spikes developer Nicalis announced a new damning action-platformer today, Castle in the Darkness. The game "recalls a golden, bygone era" thanks to its retro-inspired art and steep difficulty curve. In it, players explore the kingdom of Alexandria, hunting down an evil force that took out every knight in the land save for the leaping hero they control.

Castle in the Darkness has been in development for the last two years by Matt Kap, who is credited with work on The Binding of Isaac and 1001 Spikes. The game features over 100 weapons, armor and magic to equip as well as RPG-style elements similar to games in the Metroid and Castlevania series. It also includes over 50 bosses to hunt, plus "so many secrets that they all might never be found." Castle in the Darkness will launch on Steam later this summer.

Today's Activision Blizzard earnings call revealed that World of Warcraft has suffered another significant hit to its subscriptions: The game has lost 800,000 subs over the last quarter, bringing the playerbase down to 6.8 million subscribers.

In a rather surprising move, Blizzard's Executive Producer Rob Pardo announced today that he is leaving the company. At this time he has announced no immediate career plans or subsequent goals, although he mentions a desire to spend the summer with his family and consider his next move. Pardo's forum announcement thanks the design teams for all of their hard work and notes that he has immensely enjoyed his time with the company; he expresses great satisfaction at the growth of the company and all of the changes that have come about during his tenure there.

Pardo mentions that he began working with the studio during development of the original StarCraft, having since worked on titles including Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and Heroes of the Storm. He has promised fans that he will attempt to be communicative about his next move via Twitter.

Blizzard sent out a reminder today about the auction house, stating that while its economic functions were disabled in March, the studio left it up for a few months past that to allow players to retrieve items and gold. Any items and gold left unattended will be sucked into the abyss on next Tuesday, so beware!

Diablo III has begun testing its first big update for Reaper of Souls, which will add an updated version of Diablo II's ladder system and more.

Patch 2.1.0 will also add "seasons" to the game. These are a new type of play that requires players to start a fresh character to level up. Why would someone want to do something so obviously crazy? Why, for the exclusive rewards and the chance to climb the leaderboards! There will also be season-only achievements called conquests that will be awarded to the first 1,000 players to get each one.

Once a season is over, the exclusive legendaries will be added to the rest of the game. Patch 2.1.0 will also impliment cesspool levels, combat balance changes, and greater rifts. The latter will have players racing against the clock to kill monsters and try to beat the end boss before time runs out.

A weekend or two ago, I was paging listlessly through my Steam account, looking for something to grab me. Like a lot of Steam's members, I've got dozens of games I've purchased cheaply or been gifted but never got around to playing, so you'd think finding something would be easy! As I poked around, I wondered just how much my library reflected my actually gaming interests. I have a lot of MMOs, obviously, but just as many deep RPGs, clicky action-RPGs, sandboxes, and puzzlers. Oddly, I have a bunch of hardcore roguelikes even though I'm terrible at them and rarely play them, but for some reason, I can't stop buying them just to see if maybe this one will satisfy that itch.

What about you, Massively folks? What does your Steam library say about you? Bonus question: How many games do you own through Steam and other digital distributors?

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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action-rpgbrianna-royce-tdgbusiness modelsdaily-grinddigital-gamesmassively metamiscellaneousmmo industryopinionroguelikessteamsteam-librarytdgthe daily grindthe-daily-grindFri, 30 May 2014 08:00:00 -0400319|20888465